Pivot table sort misbehavior

[Graham Wideman]

Folks:
I am hoping there's a pivot table wiz out there who happens to know the
magic for this!

Situation:

Underlying query has a couple of tables joined, and several columns from
each table.

Pivot table uses three fields for "row axes" (ie: category columns A, B, C
on the left) and one field for "column axis" (D, across the top), plus three
"data axis" columns (E, F, G).

ASCII graphics:

D 1 2
A B C ---------------- ...
| E F G | E F G
| |
| |

I have lots of experience with queries, so not suspecting a problem there,
and I've worked with the PivotTable enough to get almost everything under
control -- formatting, enable/disable totals etc.

The one things that seems random is this:

I can get the rows and columns to sort according to values in the row and
column axes (left and top), but when I try to sort based on the data cells,
it only sometimes works.

Ie: With the underlying query specifying NO sorts, in PivotTable view I can
right-click on the various areas to specify sorts on say the two "outer" row
axes A and B, and the col axis D. Fine so far.

Then I want the content data to sort according to content data column E, NOT
according to the remaining row-axis C.

Now, sometimes when I set this up it works fine, other times not.

In particular, when it *is* working, and then I select sorting by C (the
third row axis), if I then disable sort on C PivotTable persists in sorting
on that column, overriding the sorting on E.

Any clues on this?

Thanks,

Graham